20/10/2014

Irish Water 'Not FIt For Purpose'

Irish Water is "not fit for the purpose of serving the interests of ordinary citizens", Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald has said.

The Deputy Leader and party spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform has called again for the scrapping of water charges, saying that the government's management of the company has seen a "litany of debacles".

Deputy McDonald said: "The manner in which Irish Water was established, the management of the company to date and the imposition of water charges has been an unmitigated disaster. Even government back-benchers have woken-up to this reality.

Ms McDonald said that the government has resorted to "serious bully-boy tactics" to deal with public dissent over the issue.

"This madness has to stop. Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister Alan Kenny must now get their finger out and move to address the debacle in a comprehensive manner. This must include the complete abolition of domestic water charges," Ms McDonald said.

Adding: "Irish Water cannot remain as the utility responsible for the delivery of water services in its present form. The company is toxic. It must now be radically reformed into a single utility that acts in the interests of our citizens as suggested by Sinn Féin in our proposals for the delivery of water services."

(MH/CD)

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